Second to the Right
by Amazing Bluie
Summary: Sometimes the Doctor makes a bigger mess of things than he ever realizes...


Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable.

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Second to the Right**

"Is this gonna take all night?"

The Doctor frowned. "I'm just putting the finishing touches on it, Donna. We'll be back on our way, shortly." He finished calibrating his screwdriver again, trying to find yet another frequency for this layered rift in time and space. Pushing himself off the floor of the edge of the TARDIS, not bothering to close the door as he was headed right back, the Doctor ran back to the TARDIS console again, ignoring his companion's glare.

"You said that half an hour ago!" Donna was getting a bit grumpy, as the last several worlds the Doctor had taken her to turned out to be flops. This next one was promised to be entirely vacation, something special, the Doctor told her. A world made of diamonds.

She snorted. If they could ever get there. More than an hour ago, the Doctor decided he'd stop in old England, early 20th century, to fix a hole in the sky. Some type of rift caused by some small alien creatures. He said they were known to naturally create Phey-Rii particles, which basically allowed minute manipulation of matter and time energy. He said they weren't particularly dangerous, but Donna definitely saw the wisdom in cutting off access to Earth. "What's taking so long, anyways? I thought you were all 'this'll only take a minute' more than an HOUR ago!"

The Doctor grumbled under his breath as he finished his, hopefully, last scan of the rift with the TARDIS. He took a breath and explained what he'd discovered, "It should've taken only a minute, and would've had we tried it when it was first created." The Time Lord flopped back on the ground and reached out the sonic screwdriver to nearly touching the greatly diminished hole. This time he'd finish closing it off, he was sure.

"So? What's wrong now, and why didn't we go back to when it was created?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes as he replied like he was talking to an idiot. "How many times do I have to tell you, we can't cross int-"

She interrupted him as she rolled her eyes. "Into established events, right. So, how'd it get to be so powerful?"

The Doctor continued, excitedly nearing the end of closing up the rift. He was happy to be working on it for the first half hour, fascinating as it was. But now he was more than ready to be done. "Apparently, the type of creature that created this... tunnel, would reinforce it during every passage. In other words, every time a creature of that type went through, it would become more stable." The Doctor's voice became strained as he reached further while the hole shrank to non-existence. "And this one's seen a lot of travel... Got it!"

Donna stood up from her slouching position against the console, while the Doctor wasn't looking, of course. Smiling, she ran over to him as he popped up, grinning widely. "So, it's done? We can go?"

"Impatient, much?" The Doctor clucked his tongue at her. "I think someone's losing the excitement and wonder of unusual things."

Donna rolled her eyes. "Oh, come off it. It's just a hole in the sky! No one's going to miss it."

"It's kind of sad, though. That hole has been sitting there for years, always in one specific place in the sky. From the Big Ben, it even looked like a star. Second one to the right." He turned and looked at Donna, grinning massively as usual. "Now let's go see Midnight!"

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"I... I don't understand... It was here! Somewhere..." Peter trailed off as he continued flying desperately around in circles, trying to find a way home.

Wendy sighed as she floated in a sitting position above a cloud. John and Michael were starting to get bored of flying with no purpose or direction, the novelty of the magical feeling beginning to wear off.

Peter Pan flew another loop in panic. "I don't understand... Tinkerbell?"

Tink had been searching even more frantically than Peter, but had found nothing as well. Both were really worried.

Wendy yawned as her eyelids began to droop. She looked over to find that Michael's had as well, with John not far behind. She took another moment to consider, before making a decision. "Peter," she began, with that soft lilt in her voice tainted by the sound of being so very sorry for what she was about to say, "I'm very sorry, Peter, but the children are feeling tired. I am feeling tired as well. We simply must return home."

Peter glanced at her, wide-eyed and fearful. "No, no, it's over here! It has to be!" The desperation in his voice hit a high as he quickly flew to an area he was suddenly sure he hadn't checked before. But there was nothing there, either.

"I'm sorry, Peter." Wendy's voice was so sympathetic. "But we really must be getting home. Perhaps when you find the way back, you can come and get us another night?"

"I... I-I..." Peter looked left and right, right and left, up and down and all around. He knew without a doubt it was here somewhere. But he could not find it.

Wendy flew over and took her two siblings' hands in her own. "Good luck, Peter. I know you can do it." The three children tiredly flew away as she wished him a final sad, "Goodbye."

After watching them leave, Peter spent several more minutes flying around. But at last he quit, feeling too tired and down to continue.

"I don't get it, Tink." Tinkerbell landed on his shoulder as they both looked onward into deep space, she near to tears while he looked like a sad little lost child. "I know this is where we cross into Neverland!" But as they stared into the starry night, no answers came to them.

Peter heaved a deep, longing sigh as he let loose a whisper. "Second star to the right..."


End file.
